New Guitar Day from New Forum Member

[mischasera]

Nice to meet everyone!

This guitar just arrived today. I'm rather mystified as to what it actually is. I've scoured through the resources on this forum, and the closest approximation would be the Radial Fly (RF722 etc) models which are essentially Nitefly revisions, from what I gather?

The seller had it listed as "Parker Maxx Fly Mojo Custom Shop 1 of a kind", with the following description:
"Parker guitars are no longer in production. This instrument is an extremely rare 2014, one of a kind Parker Fly USA Custom Shop Mojo Guitar in Voodoo Black finish. Bolt on maple neck, ebony fret board, 22 jumbo stainless steel frets, radial neck joint, chrome Sperzel Trim-lok tuners. Graphite nut, Dimarzio pickups, Fishman piezo power board, custom distressed Parker tremolo, master volume, master tone, with push/pull coil taps, master piezo volume, 3 way pickup selector, 3 way toggle to switch pickups, piezo or both at the same time. Includes deluxe hard shell case. This guitar plays and sounds absolutely amazing, Condition is "Used", but it is in excellent condition! No dents, dings or scratches. Well cared for and always stored in its case. In beautiful condition, no blemishes. ATTENTION: BE WARNED, the Serial Number is 666! Scary cool!"

I asked some clarifying questions, but the previous owner had bought it on eBay himself 4 years ago, so he didn't have any additional info.

It doesn't seem to have the same kind of neck as the other Radial Fly models... is this really just a painted maple neck? Would it even have been possible to order something like this via Parker Custom Shop? And what's with the 666 serial number?

So, yeah, I'd like to get some other thoughts/perspectives on this instrument.

[vjmanzo]

Hi @mischasera, and welcome!!!!

Congrats on this unique instrument! I remember seeing this one for sale many years ago and then again just recently, so I’m glad you own it because I have lots of questions!

I have only a lot of speculation about what this instrument is, but you can help us confirm it! My suspicion is that this is a late-model NiteFly, which, as you noted was called a Radial NiteFly; which, was effectively (and quite confusingly!) a DF/MaxxFly with a NiteFly body shape and not at all a NiteFly, which, until that point in Parker Guitars history, had always featured a composite fingerboard and composite neck veneer like a Fly.

There was never an official color referred to as “Voodoo Black” and my hunch is that the owner of this guitar gave it that moniker after either having it custom finished elsewhere or, less likely, having it ordered from the factory that way; I say this is less likely because there are many examples of black finishes on Parkers and this looks very unique.

I dig the look! Glad to hear it sounds good!! Post a video at some point!!

Can you post a photo of the serial? Is it painted on or stamped in? The “Made in USA” stamp is not something we ever saw on Flys or NiteFlys for most of the Parker Guitars run, but this Radial NiteFly may have had that treatment; as I mentioned, it was a very late-era model that more closely resembled DragonFlys/MaxxFlys and stamping into the headstock was a common treatment for DFs/Maxxflys.

[jester700]

THAT is an interesting beast! You and vjmanzo are mostly spot on with your thinking.

There WAS a "Voodoo Black", though. It's a matte black finish where the wood grain shows through, and though yours looks a bit nicer, I have a DF422FR in this color (a Maxxfly with Floyd bridge). The 422 was a cheaper version of the 522: USA made (and mine is stamped like yours), rosewood fingerboard, no piezo or preamp, and imported USM Duncan pickups.
https://www.chorder.com/electric-guitar ... df422-3716

But 400 series didn't have ebony fingerboards and 500 series didn't offer Voodoo Black. And your pickups aren't standard Duncans or USM Duncans.

So I'd call it an RF522 in Voodoo Black, though that's never been listed in a catalog and doesn't show up in a search. Likely a one off or test guitar. Not sure about the painted neck - I've never seen a bolt on Parker with a painted neck. Either REALLY rare or the owner had it done.

Congrats! My Parkers are the best guitars I've ever had.

[vjmanzo]

Very cool that you have a similar DF, @jester700!

There WAS a "Voodoo Black", though.

I just looked through all of the USM-era Parker catalogs from 2004 - 2015 and I didn't see any mention of "Voodoo Black"--only Black, Dusty Black, Matte Black, and Metallic Black. Do you recall seeing "Voodoo" in some official capacity?

Cool guitar regardless of the finish!

[jb63]

https://www.chorder.com/electric-guitar ... df422-3716

We need to save that link or archive the page here somewhere!
I just learned that my favorite "MaxxFly" model is the 422 not the 522!

[vjmanzo]

https://www.chorder.com/electric-guitar ... df422-3716

We need to save that link or archive the page here somewhere!

No judgement, but are we considering Chorder a verified source of info? The data on that page appears to be scraped from online auctions and reviews and then populated on the page. Again: no judgement against Chorder, but, with all the misinformation out there on Parker guitars, I feel we have to guard what info we consider to be "canonical" before, years from now, we start debating about whether the DF422 had a "Syntetic" nut like that Chorder link says or a "Synthetic" nut like the catalog says

[jester700]

We're going to need to fill in gaps in some way, because there are things that Parker did that are non-canonical in any case. Mischasera's guitar isn't in any catalog. I've had two DF422FRs, and I can't find them in the catalogs either. That flat black that shows the wood grain isn't dusty, metallic, or matte (my matte gray DF524 doesn't show grain).

In the last few years Parker was trying a lot of things that weren't official. My FM blueburst DF724 wasn't catalog. My FM greenburst DF824 isn't, either. (Terry called it a DF924, but as one of two such units, who knows?)

Sooo.... what are we all gonna call the matte black that shows the wood grain? This group is as "official" as Parker's ever likely to get, so... wanna make a poll?

[vjmanzo]

We're going to need to fill in gaps in some way, because there are things that Parker did that are non-canonical in any case.

This group is as "official" as Parker's ever likely to get

Good points, @jester700; I’m sold! Voodoo Black it is!

For what it’s worth the “Fly Stealth” we all refer to is actually called the “Fly Hardtail”; “Stealth Gray” is the color they called it in the catalog, but we all (myself included) just call it the Fly Stealth. Even @Ken Parker calls it that!! So there is a precedent for these sorts of colloquialisms to become the “new official” terms, which is fine by me.

You’re right: who is gonna tell us otherwise (especially since Ken is a contributing member here!), and there really should be some term for describe that cool black finish. My question about the term was really just about trying to determine if it originated from Parker/USM, but I’m not that much of a stickler about these things.

[mischasera]

Can you post a photo of the serial? Is it painted on or stamped in? The “Made in USA” stamp is not something we ever saw on Flys or NiteFlys for most of the Parker Guitars run, but this Radial NiteFly may have had that treatment; as I mentioned, it was a very late-era model that more closely resembled DragonFlys/MaxxFlys and stamping into the headstock was a common treatment for DFs/Maxxflys.

Thanks for the feedback, folks!

I've been traveling, but I'll post a closeup of the serial as soon as I'm back with the Parker. It is stamped in, though, not painted on.

Also, been poking around a bit more and found the following...

Guess there were Radial Fly models with painted necks after all (though not common):


Seems like the "made in USA" thing can also be found elsewhere:


A few follow-up questions:

1. Can anyone tell what wood mine is from just looking at it? The RF522/622/722 seem to be mahogany, but I'm not sure about mine since it seems to be a one-off. The grain doesn't resemble other unfinished mahogany guitars I've seen, but I'm not at all knowledgeable about wood.

2. The pickups are Dimarzios... but which model? I know Parker had custom wound Dimarzios, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that they were still based on production Dimarzio pickups... Air Norton / Tone Zone, maybe?

Thanks again! =)

[jester700]

That's cool. I never saw that before and as we're seeing, it doesn't show up on any catalog or archive.org web history search of Parker's pages.

I can't speak to the wood, but my DF422 is alder - and if yours is mahogany maybe that's why the finish looks nicer on yours!

I don't remember Parker using DiMarzios an any non-signature guitars in this era. I thought they all went to Duncans.

I'm pretty sure all my USA made bolt-on Maxx Flys had the stamped "Made in USA"; I'll check tonight. These all have oil finished maple necks, like *most* of the radial bolt-ons (I would have said "all" before seeing this thread!) My painted/carbon wrapped DF and Stealth have the "Made in USA" painted on.

[vjmanzo]

That's cool. I never saw that before and as we're seeing, it doesn't show up on any catalog or archive.org web history search of Parker's pages.

Very cool to see this unravelling!

I don't remember Parker using DiMarzios an any non-signature guitars in this era. I thought they all went to Duncans.

Yes, I think you're right; there was some sort of "disagreement" with DiMarzio toward the end there, IIR.

I'll post a closeup of the serial as soon as I'm back with the Parker. It is stamped in, though, not painted on.

Would love to see that!

[Patzag]

I had a custom DF made which was black burst. Only one of its kind (if you don't count the failed model made with a maple neck and carbon fiber wrap - so hard the truss would not move the neck at all).
I sold it some time back for financial reasons - and I still kick myself for it.
The matt black made the next the fastest and slickest thing ever. The guitar was a real beauty. 3 single coils.
Not listed in any catalog. Terry made it to my specs (almost since he refused to use a roller nut which I had specified) (and paid for and sent to him). But that's another story.
In the last years, Parker made a few one offs so I am not surprised at this one showing up. One of the new NightFlys had this Voodoo black finish. I seem to recall this was the name.
Mine was the same black but burst.

[jester700]

I'm pretty sure all my USA made bolt-on Maxx Flys had the stamped "Made in USA"; I'll check tonight.

Yup. They're all stamped.

[dalo]

i recently almost bought ur guitar ! but i went for a 98 t-burst nitefly instead. glad u posted, it is a beaut

[Noodler]

I think this may be an earlier "prototype" of the Radial Fly that Terry had developed as a potential model that would be less expensive to produce. At the time of the factory tour I attended, the Dragon was the super secret new model that was coming out and the radial neck idea was used on a number of prototypes that we were permitted to fondle. I may even have some pictures of this, but I need to find my Parker factory tour pics... more to come hopefully.